Doll



Get. 18, 1938- G. SCHAEFFER DOLL Filed July 28, 1956 l NV E NTO R Edward666/14 ATTO R N EY Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEDOLL Application July 28, 1936, Serial N0. 92,947

11 Claims.

This invention relates to dolls and more par ticularly to a doll skullhaving an eyeball assembly associated therewith.

In accordance with this invention, an eyeball assembly is provided whichincludes one or more eyeballs mounted within a protective housing whichis assembled as a complete functioning unit prior to insertion withinthe doll skull. The eyeball assembly may comprise an eyeball which ispivotally mounted within the housing with suitable operating mechanismfor tilting the eyeball into closed, sleeping position and into open,aroused position. The eyeball assembly is held in fixed operativeposition within the skull by means of a suitable socket memberpositioned within the doll skull. The socket member is preferably formedof resilient, expansible material such as rubber, so that it can beexpanded to receive the eyeball assembly and which will thereafterautomatically contract to grip or otherwise contain the eyeball assemblyin fixed operative position.

The socket member may be molded as an integral part of the molded skullshell or it may be molded therein after the skull shell has been formed.If desired, the preformed socket element may also be inserted into thepreformed skull shell and secured in fixed position therein by cement,or other securing means or devices. Pressure exerted on the eyeballassembly cannot displace it from its operative position within theskull.

The eyeball assembly can be inexpensively made and assembled with aminimum of operations and largely by unskilled labor, and can beadvantageously assembled in doll heads designed to retail atcomparatively low cost. The eyeball operating mechanism gives theeyeball a movement which closely simulates the eyeball movement of ahuman being, the eyeballs automatically moving into closed, sleepingposition when the doll body is placed in reclining or substantiallyhorizontal position, and the eyeballs moving into open, awake positionwhen the body is raised into substantially upright, aroused position.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved eyeball assemblywhich can be formed as a complete assembled unit and the unit thereafterinserted within the doll head.

Another object of this invention is to provide a doll head having meanstherein for fixedly retaining the eye assembly in fixed mounted positiontherein so that the same cannot be moved, released, or disarranged fromits proper operative position.

Another object of this invention is toprovide an expansible mounting foran eyeball assembly which will facilitate the quick and positiveinsertion of the eyeball assembly within the doll head and which willpermanently and securely retain the eyeball assembly in its properoperative position therein.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved eyeballunit having eyeball mounting and operating mechanism associatedtherewith which can be produced at low cost, which is substantiallyfoolproof and positive in operation, which is sturdy and strong inconstruction, and which can be quickly inserted and secured within thedoll head.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the disclosureproceeds.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following particular description and from an inspection of theaccompanying drawing.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic ofthis invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appendedhereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and themanner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood byreferring to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the doll skull,looking in the direction of the arrows along line !---I of Fig. 2 andinto the facial portion thereof, this view illustrating particularly themeans used for. supporting the eyeball assembly in fixed position withinthe skull shell;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through the facial portionof the doll skull looking in the direction of the arrows along line 22of Fig. 1, this view showing in cross-section the construction of theeyeball assembly and the mounting therefor;

Fig. 3 is a front view of the assembled doll head looking at the facethereof, this view showing the eyeballs mounted within the doll headvisible through the eye openings in the skull shell; and

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the facial portionof the skull shell taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 3, the right hand sideof the figure showing a socket as it appears prior to the insertion ofthe eyeball assembly, the left hand side of the figure showing a socketwith an eyeball assembly contained therein, certain parts of the eyeballassembly being broken away to illustrate certain features of theconstruction.

* Similar reference characters refer to similar parts through theseveral views of the drawing.

My improved eyeball assembly is adapted to be mounted in any desiredtype of doll head. Doll heads are generally made hollow to provide askull shell having an outer configuration and decoration which resemblesin appearance the human head. The skull shell I is provided with a pairof eye openings through which the eyeballs mounted within the skullshell are visible. The skull shell may be made of vulcanized rubber,phenol resins, moldable clays, wood or other earthy, metallic, resinous,or fibrous materials known in the art. The doll head may be shaped anddecorated to represent the head of a human baby, a child, adolescent orgrown person. Fixed within the skull shell adjacent the eye openings 4is a socket element E for receiving and. retaining the eyeball assemblyin fixed mounted position within the skull shell. The socket element 6is preferably made of resilient or expansible ma terial, such asrelatively soft rubber, so that it may be flexed sufficiently to permitinsertion of the eyeball assembly therein. When the eyeball assembly hasbeen inserted the socket element contracts to grip, engage or hold theeyeball assembly in firm fixed position within the doll skull so that itcannot become disarrangecl therein.

The eyeball assembly comprises a housing having a dome-shaped portionlEland an eye opening Illa therein. The housing is preferably formed ofstamped sheet metal and can be inexpensively made. The eyeball membercomprises a domeshaped portion 20 which fits within the domeshapedportion H of the housing.

The eyeball may, if desired, be made of metal which has an eyerepresentation painted or otherwise applied to the outside surfacethereof so as to simulate the human eye, including a pupil 23a, the iris2317, the sclerotic coat or white portion 230 and the upper eyelid 23d.Eyelashes comprising parallel arranged hairs or fibres 236 may be fixedto the eyeball below the eyelid 23d.

The eyeball member is pivotally mounted within the housing so that whenthe doll is laid in a horizontal position the eyeball will pivot into aclosed sleeping position, in which position only the eyelid portion7.301 is visible. When the doll is raised into substantially verticalposition, the eyeball will again pivot into eye-open position whereinthe pupil 23a and iris 231) are clearly visible through the eye opening4 in the skull shell. The dome-shaped eyeball member 20 may be providedwith diametrically opposed openings 2| therein to receive the pivotalstud elements !2 projecting inwardly from the housing [0. The studelements 12 may, if desired, be formed by punching in the metal of thehousing so that it provides a stud projection upon which the eyeballmember It) may freely pivot. It is understood, however, that if desiredoutwardly extending projections may be provided on the eyeball member20, which projections extend into a suit able bearing formed in thewalls of the housing Ill, thus pivotally mounting the eyeball memberwithin the housing. Suflicient clearance between the eyeball member 25and the inner surface of the housing It] should be provided to permitfree swinging movement of the eyeball member.

Mechanism is provided to pivot the eyeball members 20 as the doll headis manipulated so as to bring the eyeballs into closed, sleepingposition when the doll body is placed in a substantially horizontal orreclining position, and to pivot the eyeballs into open, awake positionwhen the doll body is placed in an upright or aroused position. As shownmore particularly in Figs. 2 and 4 the eyeball-manipulating mechanismmay comprise a lip portion 24 extending inwardly from the dome-shapedportion 20 and the same may be formed integrally therewith. A weight 25suitably fixed to the lip portion 24 normally holds the eyeball memberin open, awake position when the doll body is positioned in uprightposition.

The weight 25 may be telescoped onto the lip portion 24 so that theposition of the weight 25 can be adjusted to give the desired leveragewhich will best efiect swinging movement of the eyeball.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the eyeball is so arrangedthat the pupil 23a and iris 23b is visible through the eye opening 4 andthat the eyeball is held in this position by gravity acting on theweight 25. When the doll is placed in horizontal or inclined positionhowever, gravity will cause the weight 25 to swing the eyeballs intoclosed, sleeping position. When the doll is raised into upright oraroused position gravity acting on the weight 25 will cause the eyeballsto swing into open position.

The dome-shaped eyeball portion 20 with the weight 25 assembled to thelip portion 24 thereof, is inserted into the dome-shaped portion of thehousing and the stud elements 12 are inserted in the bearings 2| topivotally mount the eyeball within the housing. A suitable pricking toolcan be used to form the stud elements l2 when the eyeball has beenproperly positioned within the housing. A cover member [4 having aflange portion 25 is then telescoped over the flange portion 16 of thehousing portion to enclose the eyeball and eyeball-operating mechanismtherein. The flange portion I6 of the housing is connected with thedome-shaped portion It! by an outwardly extending portion I'l, so thatwhen the cover member I4 is assembled to the housing, an outwardlyextending shoulder is provided. The eyeball assembly may be generallyacorn-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4, and can be inexpensively manufacturedand assembled from stamped metal parts by automatic machinery and with aminimum of hand labor.

The socket member 6 is provided with a suitable opening through whichthe eyeball assembly may be inserted. The opening I is preferably ofsmaller diameter than the diameter of .16 shoulder portion provided onthe eyeball assembly. The abutment portion 61) surrounding the openingI, being made of resilient material, will expand outwardly so as toenlarge the opening and permit insertion of the eyeball assembly. Wheninserted the abutment portion 6b will contract so as to overlie thecover [4 of the eyeball housing, so that it will be impossible to pushthe eyeball assembly inwardly into the skull by pressure applied to theeyeball assembly through the eye opening 4. When in operative positionthe outwardly flared portion I! of the eyeball assembly seats against anabutment 6a formed as a part of the socket element 6, so that pressureapplied within the head against the eyeball assembly cannot result inforcing the eyeball assembly outwardly from its properly mountedposition. The abutment portions 6a and 6b define a recess 60 in thesocket element within which the shoulder portion of the eyeball housingseats. Thus the eyeball assembly is fixedly and rigidly secured and heldagainst movement within the skull shell, and no amount of pressure,except an actual disruption of the parts, can succeed in displacing ordisarranging the eyeball assembly within the skull.

The socket element 6 may be suitably molded or formed within the skullshell either during the molding of the skull shell itself or after theskull shell has been formed. This invention contemplates the provisionof a socket element 6 which is integrally cast with the skull shell orformed or molded within the skull shell after the skull shell has beenformed. It also contemplates the provision of a preformed socket element6 which is cemented, attached or otherwise secured to the preformedskull shell. Where the skull shell i is made of vulcanized rubber thesocket element 6 may be secured thereto by a vulcanizing operation or byrubber cements known to the art of rubber manufacture.

The eyeball assembly can be inserted into the skull shell through theneck opening 2. Where the skull shell is made in two parts, such as thefacial portion l and the back portion 3, the eyeball assembly can beinserted in position prior to the application of the back portion 3 tothe facial portion I of the shell. If desired, the eyeball assembly canbe cast integrally into the skull shell when the skull shell is moldedor formed. This is made possible because the eyeball assembly is formedas an integral fully assembled unit whose parts require no adjustmentafter they have been inserted within the skull.

The eyeball assembly, comprising the housing, the eyeball pivotallymounted therein, and the eyeball-operating mechanism, can be used withmany different varieties of dolls. Heretofore, socalled sleeping dollshave been expensive due to the fact that the eyeball-operating mechanismhas been complicated in construction, expensive to manufacture anddifiicult to assemble in the doll head. The eyeball assembly hereindisclosed is formed as an integral functioning unit, thus avoiding thedifliculty encountered in assembling the separate parts under crampedconditions within the doll head.

Since the eyeball, eyeball housing and operating mechanism are firstformed as an assembled unit prior to the insertion thereof into the dollhead, the same can be made and assembled on a mass production basis,stamped, formed and assembled entirely by automatic machinery and with aminimum of labor. Due to its low cost, sleeping eyeball assemblies asherein disclosed can be embodied as a feature in dolls marketable at lowcost and particularly doll bodies made of rubber, resins, and othermoldable material. The assembled unit is firmly and rigidly held withinthe doll head and cannot be pushed out or disarranged from its properfunctioning position. The eyeball unit is sturdy and strong inconstruction, positive in operation, and the parts are so correlated asto operate efiiciently and effectively. The housing within which theeyeball and operating mechanism is contained fully protects thefunctioning parts, and jars and other abuse to which the doll head maybe subjected will not displace or disarrange the parts. The eyeballassembly herein disclosed can be associated with doll bodies of numerousshapes and forms and made from all the various materials commonly usedin the art.

While certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed andare pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood thatvarious omissions, substitutions and changes may be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An eyeball assembly for dolls including, a housing member having adome-shaped portion and a separate cover portion, an eye opening in saiddome-shaped portion, an eyeball member comprising an arcuate shellpivotally mounted within said dome-shaped portion and adjacent the eyeopening in the dome-shaped portion thereof, said eyeball member havingan eye representation applied thereto, an eyelid representation fixed tosaid eyeball member above said eye representation, and means containedwithin said housing member and enclosed by said cover portion formanipulating said eyeball member upon predetermined movement of saidhousing so as to selectively bring said eye representation and saideyelid representation into view through the eye opening in saiddome-shaped portion.

2. In a doll head, a skull shell having an eye opening therein, ahousing member held in fixed position within said skull shell having adomeshaped portion and a continuous laterally projecting rim portion atthe rear of said dome shaped portion, and a closure for said housingtelescoping over said rim portion, an eye opening in said dome-shapedportion in alignment with the opening in the skull shell, an eyeball,means for movably mounting the eyeball Within the dome-shaped portion soas to be visible through the aligned openings in the skull shell andhousing member, mechanism enclosed withvin said housing member formanipulating said eyeball into closed sleeping position and into openawake position, and means for securing said cover portion to saidhousing portion when said eyeball and eyeball manipulating mechanism hasbeen inserted therein.

3. A doll head assembly including, a skull shell having a pair of spacedeye openings therein, a resilient socket-forming member substantiallythicker than said skull shell projecting inwardly Within said skullshell bridging said eye openings and extending continuously between thesides of said skull shell, socket cavities in said resilient memberextending rearwardly from said eye openings respectively, a housingmember having an eye opening therein positioned within each of saidsocket cavities, an eyeball movably mounted within each of said housingsadjacent the eye opening therein, and a continuous laterally extendingrim portion surrounding each of said housings and fitting within acorresponding continuous recess surrounding each of said socketcavities, each of said continuous recesses defining a resilientcontinuous flange portion extending to the rear of said housing forretaining said housings in fixed assembled position within the dollhead.

4. A doll head assembly including a skull shell having an eye openingtherein, a dome-shaped ho-usin comprising an eye opening therein, aneyeball having a dome-shaped shell movably seated within said housingadjacent the eye opening therein, a resilient member fixedly securedwithin the skull shell having a socket cavity for receiving said housingpositioned adjacent the eye opening in said skull shell, a continuousresilient flange portion encircling said socket cavity and positioned tothe rear of said housing, and a continuous rim portion laterallyprojecting from said housing and cooperating with said fiange portionfor fixedly retaining said housing within the doll head.

5. A doll head assembly including, a skull shell having an eye openingtherein, a socket member formed from resilient expansible material fixedwithin the skull shell, said socket member having a socket cavityadjacent said eye opening, an eyeball assembly insertable through anopening at the rear of said socket cavity, and cooperating continuousshoulder portions associated with said eyeball assembly and said socketmember for retaining the eyeball assembly in fixed assembled positionwithin the doll head, the shoulder portion associated with said socketmember being resiliently expansible to enlarge the insertion opening topermit the insertion of the eyeball assembly and its associated shoulderportion within said socket cavity.

6. A doll assembly including, a skull shell having an eye openingtherein, a housing having a dome-shaped portion and a continuouslaterally projecting rim portion positioned to the rear of saiddome-shaped portion, an eyeball having a dome-shaped portion movablymounted within said dome-shaped housing portion, and a continuousresilient flange portion fixedly secured within the doll head whichdefines an expansible opening through which the dome-shaped portion andcontinuous rim portion of said housing may be inserted, said flangeportion being normally contracted to seat behind and in abuttingrelationship with respect to said rim portion to retain the housing infixed position within the skull shell.

7. In a doll head, a skull shell having an eye opening therein, aneyeball assembly including, an acorn-shaped housing having a dome-shapedportion and a continuous laterally projecting shoulder portion to therear of said dome-shaped portion, and an eyeball movably mounted withinsaid dome-shaped portion, a socket member fixedly secured within saidskull shell, a socket cavity in said socket member positioned adjacentthe eye opening within said skull shell, said socket member having acontinuous abutment portion against which said shoulder portion seats,an eyeball assembly insertion opening and a continuous resilient flangeportion surrounding said insertion opening adapted to be expanded topermit insertion of said acorn-shaped housing within the socket cavityand automatically contractable upon release to retain said housing infixed position within the skull shell.

8. An eyeball assembly for a doll including, a housing member having adome-shaped portion and a continuous laterally projecting rim portion atthe rear of said dome-shaped portion, a closure for said housing havingtelescoping engagement with said rim portion, an eyeball comprising adome-shaped shell movably mounted within the dome portion of saidhousing, said housing having an eye opening through which said eyeballmay be viewed, and mechanism enclosed within said housing member formanipulating said eyeball member into closed sleeping position and intoopen awake position, said mechanism including a lip secured to saideyeball and extending rearwardly, and a weighted element supported bysaid lip.

9. An eyeball assembly for dolls including, a housing member having adome-shaped portion and a continuous laterally projecting rim portion atthe rear of said dome-shaped portion, an eye opening in said dome-shapedportion, an eyeball pivotally mounted within said domeshaped portionadjacent said eye opening, mechanism enclosed within said housing memberfor manipulating said eyeball into closed sleeping position and intoopen awake position, and a closure for said housing having telescopingengagement with said rim portion adapted to be applied when said eyeballand eyeball manipulating mechanism has been positioned within saidhousing.

10. A doll head assembly including, a skull shell having an eye openingtherein, an eye assembly positioned within the skull shell, a socketmember formed from resilient, expansible material fixedly secured withinsaid skull shell, said socket member having a socket cavity adjacentsaid eye opening, and a continuous peripheral flange portion at the rearof said socket cavity defining an expansible opening through which theeye assembly may be inserted, said eye assembly including, a housingmember having a dome-shaped portion and a continuous laterallyprojecting rim portion at the rear of said domeshaped portion, and aclosure for said housing having telescoping engagement with said rimportion, said flange portion being automatically retractable uponinsertion of the eyeball assembly into said socket cavity whereby saidflange portion will enclose said continuous rim portion to retain theeyeball assembly in fixed position within the skull shell.

11. An eyeball assembly for dolls including, a housing member having adome-shaped portion and a laterally projecting continuous rim portionpositioned to the rear of said dome-shaped portion andnintegrally formedtherewith, a closure for said housing having telescoping engagement withsaid rim portion, an eyeball comprising a dome-shaped shell movablymounted within the dome portion of said housing, an eye opening in saidhousing through which said eyeball may be viewed, and mechanism enclosedwithin said housing member for manipulating said eyeball into closedsleeping position and into open awake position.

EDWARD G. SCI-IAEFFER.

